David A. Riley's Blog, page 73
July 23, 2015
His Own Mad Demons reviewed on Hellnotes
There's a great review for my re-issued collection His Own Mad Demons on hellnotes by Marvin P. Vernon, even if it does use the wrong cover (it's the one for the Hazardous Press version rather than the Parallel Universe one that has replaced it). This is the correct cover:
His Own Mad Demons – Book Reviewposted by Marvin P. Vernon
His Own Mad Demons
David A. Riley
Parallel Universe Publications
April 13th, 2015
Reviewed by Marvin P. Vernon
The central theme of the five stories in David A. Riley‘s original collection titled His Own Mad Demons is of the occult and demonology. Some of them take place around a British pub called The Potter’s Wheel and near an area named Grudge’s End. I have always liked that move when the author place their tales around a region whether it is real or fictitious. It gives it color and a continuity that helps create an aura of familiarity once you have the “feel” of the area in your head. And as is often with writers of fantasy and horror, they usually drop you in a place you would not necessarily want to visit and most certainly not spend the night.
I like Riley’s style. It is a little old fashioned and sort of Twilight Zone in character; putting ordinary people in supernatural situations that will tax their beliefs and challenge their will to live.
The title story is typical. It involves a couple of low level crooks doing a job that turns bad and quickly takes an occult turn in what first seems like a standard crime tale. It has a nice twist at the end and a satisfying shudder-inducing climax.
The second story titled “Lock-In” has a nice otherworldly feel, as regulars of The Potter’s Wheel become isolated for days in the pub, unable to leave into a pitch black darkness that dissolves them like acid if touched. This one has some nice shades of Hodgson and Machen to it but is still thoroughly modern.
“The Fragile Mask on His Face” also takes place around The Potter’s Wheel but is the weakest of the five. It involves a missing girl and doesn’t really go beyond the creepy occult killer (or is it something else?) stage.
The last two, “The True Spirit” and “The Worst of All Possible Places,” are the strongest pieces of fiction in the collection. They seem to speak to the writer’s strength of creating a believable fictional region with a mysterious past that includes an evil event and creating characters that will be believably tossed into the chaos. I enjoyed both of these stories but “The True Spirit” really left me in the mood to discover more about the strange town called Grudge’s End.
All of the stories kept my interest and all gave me a satisfying chill at the end. For this type of tale you really cannot ask for much else. They are the epitome of a “brief scare” and the occult horror story. Overall, it is a recommended “keep the lights on while reading” experience.
His Own Mad Demons – Book Reviewposted by Marvin P. Vernon
His Own Mad Demons
David A. Riley
Parallel Universe Publications
April 13th, 2015
Reviewed by Marvin P. Vernon
The central theme of the five stories in David A. Riley‘s original collection titled His Own Mad Demons is of the occult and demonology. Some of them take place around a British pub called The Potter’s Wheel and near an area named Grudge’s End. I have always liked that move when the author place their tales around a region whether it is real or fictitious. It gives it color and a continuity that helps create an aura of familiarity once you have the “feel” of the area in your head. And as is often with writers of fantasy and horror, they usually drop you in a place you would not necessarily want to visit and most certainly not spend the night.
I like Riley’s style. It is a little old fashioned and sort of Twilight Zone in character; putting ordinary people in supernatural situations that will tax their beliefs and challenge their will to live.
The title story is typical. It involves a couple of low level crooks doing a job that turns bad and quickly takes an occult turn in what first seems like a standard crime tale. It has a nice twist at the end and a satisfying shudder-inducing climax.
The second story titled “Lock-In” has a nice otherworldly feel, as regulars of The Potter’s Wheel become isolated for days in the pub, unable to leave into a pitch black darkness that dissolves them like acid if touched. This one has some nice shades of Hodgson and Machen to it but is still thoroughly modern.
“The Fragile Mask on His Face” also takes place around The Potter’s Wheel but is the weakest of the five. It involves a missing girl and doesn’t really go beyond the creepy occult killer (or is it something else?) stage.
The last two, “The True Spirit” and “The Worst of All Possible Places,” are the strongest pieces of fiction in the collection. They seem to speak to the writer’s strength of creating a believable fictional region with a mysterious past that includes an evil event and creating characters that will be believably tossed into the chaos. I enjoyed both of these stories but “The True Spirit” really left me in the mood to discover more about the strange town called Grudge’s End.
All of the stories kept my interest and all gave me a satisfying chill at the end. For this type of tale you really cannot ask for much else. They are the epitome of a “brief scare” and the occult horror story. Overall, it is a recommended “keep the lights on while reading” experience.
July 22, 2015
Cover art for the Eleventh Black Book of Horror
Art by Paul MudieCharles Black has released the cover art for the next Black Book of Horror, which I am pleased will include my short story Lem. The magnificent and startling artwork is, of course, by Paul Mudie, who has created all of the Black Book covers so far.Ray Harryhausen shortlisted for new Bank of England £20 note
Announced on the Ray Harryhausen-Foundation facebook page: "Delighted that Ray Harryhausen is on the Bank of England £20 note shortlist. The final note is released in 2020 Ray’s centenary. This is how it might look!"
July 16, 2015
The Eleventh Black Book of Horror
Charles Black has released the table of contents for the Eleventh Black Book of Horror and I am chuffed to be in it, alongside some great names in the horror genre! No date as yet as to when the book will be published but I believe it will be soon.
TWO FIVE SEVEN - Thana Niveau
EAST WICKENDEN - Edward Pearce
SLAUGHTERED LAMB - Tom Johnstone
FORGIVE US NOT OUR TRESPASSES - John Llewellyn Probert
LORD OF THE SAND - Stephen Bacon
ALMA MATER - Kate Farrell
KEEPING THE ROMANCE ALIVE - Stuart Young
TEATIME - Anna Taborska
LEM - David A. Riley
FLIES - Tony Earnshaw
AND THE DEAD SHALL SPEAK - David Williamson
EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY - Marion Pitman
THE WEATHERVANE - Sam Dawson
MOLLI & JULLI - John Forth
Read more: http://vaultofevil.proboards.com/posts/recent#ixzz3g3JTCJ6e
TWO FIVE SEVEN - Thana Niveau
EAST WICKENDEN - Edward Pearce
SLAUGHTERED LAMB - Tom Johnstone
FORGIVE US NOT OUR TRESPASSES - John Llewellyn Probert
LORD OF THE SAND - Stephen Bacon
ALMA MATER - Kate Farrell
KEEPING THE ROMANCE ALIVE - Stuart Young
TEATIME - Anna Taborska
LEM - David A. Riley
FLIES - Tony Earnshaw
AND THE DEAD SHALL SPEAK - David Williamson
EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY - Marion Pitman
THE WEATHERVANE - Sam Dawson
MOLLI & JULLI - John Forth
Read more: http://vaultofevil.proboards.com/posts/recent#ixzz3g3JTCJ6e
July 9, 2015
Free Downloads of Goblin Mire Friday 10th July to Sunday 12th July
My fantasy novel Goblin Mire will be available for free downloads on kindle from tomorrow, Friday, till midnight on Sunday. If anyone who takes up this offer then feels inclined to review it... June 29, 2015
Kitchen Sink Gothic - Table of Contents
Cover Art: Joe YoungWe have now received back signed contracts by all our writers and can finally reveal the full list of contents for Kitchen Sink Gothic: 1964 by Franklin Marsh
Derek and the Sun-Spots by Andrew Darlington
Daddy Giggles by Stephen Bacon
Black Sheep by Gary Fry
Jamal Comes Home by Benedict J. Jones
Waiting by Kate Farrell
Lilly Finds a Place to Stay by Charles Black
The Mutant's Cry by David A. Sutton
The Sanitation Solution by Walter Gascoigne
Up and Out of Here by Mark Patrick Lynch
Late Shift by Adrian Cole
The Great Estate by Shaun Avery
Nine Tenths by Jay Eales
Envelopes by Craig Herbertson
Tunnel Vision by Tim Major
Life is Prescious M. J. Wesolowski
Canvey Island Baby by David Turnbull
The book is over 200 pages long and will be published as a trade paperback and an ebook in July.
June 23, 2015
Kitchen Sink Gothic - acceptances and rejections
Today we emailed all the rejections and acceptances for Kitchen Sink Gothic. As soon as our contracts for the accepted stories have been returned to us we'll be posting details of the full TOC.Kitchen Sink Gothic will be available both as a trade paperback and an ebook.
We believe this will be an important anthology, with a great line up and a varied, intriguing and fascinating list of stories.
June 22, 2015
Moloch's Children reviewed on the Vault of Evil
Kevin Demant (demonik) concludes his serialised review of my horror novel, Moloch's Children, on the Vault of Evil website: "I greatly enjoyed the Grudge End novel, The Return but Moloch's Children is, if anything, more of a Vault Mk I novel. Despite the mid-nineties setting this is very much a 'sixties "Good versus Evil" throwback, generous with the horrors (supernatural or otherwise) and capture-escape cliffhangers, although Dennis Wheatley would sooner have joined the Transport & General Workers Union than conclude one of his black novels on so pessimistic a note. Bad things happen to essentially sympathetic people in Riley books, and, as Professor Krakowsky ultimately discovers, sometimes the only choice comes down to the lesser of two terrible evils."http://vaultofevil.proboards.com/…/david-riley-molochs-chil…
trade paperback:
amazon.co.uk £7.99
amazon.com $9.99
ebook:
amazon.co.uk £2.99
amazon.com $4.68
June 16, 2015
June 15, 2015
Craig Herbertson's The Heaven Maker and Other Gruesome Tales now on kindle
Craig Herbertson's The Heaven Maker and Other Gruesome Tales is now available on kindle. A trade paperback will soon be available on amazon too.amazon.co.uk £1.99
amazon.com $3.10
